Tag: Flu Shot

Retail clinics satisfy the need for convenient, quality healthcare. The number of retail clinics is quickly growing in the United States. The first one opened in Minnesota in 2000. Now more than 2,100 clinics are open as of the beginning of 2015 with more than 2,700 clinics projected to be open by 2019.

Flu season is upon us, and it’s important to know how to protect yourself. Influenza, more commonly referred to as the flu, is an acute viral infection caused by an influenza virus. Common symptoms include muscle and joint pain, high fever, sore throat and runny nose. The flu affects between 5 and 20 percent of Americans each year. Approximately 200,000 people are hospitalized due to flu-related symptoms, and anywhere from 3,000 to 49,000 people die each year from flu-related causes.

Flu? Ebola? Enterovirus 68? The fall of 2014 is presenting unique challenges to Americans everywhere as people try to determine if they have a cold, the flu, or even the first symptoms of Ebola. Scheduling time to discuss this with a healthcare professional will help to determine what exactly a person is at risk for, what prevention methods are recommended, diagnosis of the disease based on symptoms, what treatment to use, and even development of a plan to keep you, friends, and family healthy.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that everyone six months of age and older get an annual flu shot1. People at high-risk, such as those with heart conditions, diabetes, and asthma, as well as pregnant women and people over the age of 65 need to get their annual flu shot to potentially avoid getting seriously ill from complications of influenza. For more information on the flu vaccine, click here.